1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of food preparation for consumption, i.e. cooking. Cooking is the art and science of preparing foods usually by heating them until they are changed in one or more of the following: flavor, tenderness, appearance and chemical composition. Thus, cooking develops flavor and makes many foods more attractive in appearance. It also makes some foods easier to digest. Because the effect of food is so important to health, cooking has developed into a science and a large number of cooking apparatuses have been developed, each having claimed specific advantages covering everything from more rapid cooking and flavor enhancement to all-day simmering and vitamin retention.
2. Description of Related Art
Of the various types of cooking apparatuses, those which provide convective heating/cooking are among the most popular. However, convective cooking requires the passing of heated air over the item being cooked for a prolonged period of time. In order to do so, complicated and expensive apparatuses have been proposed which suffer the drawback of excessive retail prices.
Devices that purport to provide an even distribution of heat within the cooking chamber are known in the background art. Once such device was invented by Kiam, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,719. This cooking utensil includes a pan, base and cover elements, each formed with angular, outwardly extending flanges or lips about its periphery for cooperative stacking engagement to provide a portable oven or the like. This patent further teaches a heat deflection chamber to direct the heat from the source below the basin to an oven chamber formed between the element and its matching cover.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,096, Knees discloses an apparatus for cooking. The invention teaches a cooking utensil which can be used at high and low temperatures without burning the food or causing sticking. With the utilization of a container that is mounted on the stand, the invention may be used at an angle of about 45.degree. or 90.degree. and may permit stirring of the ingredients with the aid of a speed control stirring element.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,300, Kuhlman teaches an apparatus for heating food which is comprised of a heat distributing device, a base upon which the device rests, a heat source underneath the device, and a lid resting on the base and covering the device.
A number of background devices which teach cooking utensils are as follows: Setzer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,865; Glenboski et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,165; Miles et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,511; Bowen et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,079; Volks, U.S. Pat. No. 2,253,833; Wolff, U.S. Pat. No. 2,413,204.
An apparatus is needed, therefore, which provides convective cooking in a simple and inexpensive manner.
The present invention represents an improvement over the device of the aforesaid patents as will appear hereinafter.